A series of attacks targeting young concert-goers and Parisians enjoying a Friday night out at popular nightspots killed as many as 120 people in the deadliest violence to strike France since World War II.

President Francois Hollande pledged that France would stand firm against what he called terrorism.

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The worst carnage was at a concert hall hosting an American rock band, where scores of people were held hostage and attackers hurled explosives at their captives. Police who stormed the building, killing three attackers, encountered a bloody scene of horror inside.

The head of the Paris police said all attackers are believed to be dead.

Some security experts have said that the attacks in Paris are a huge wake-up call to security forces in France, Great Britain and the United States that an attack of that magnitude could have been perpetrated without anyone picking up on it.

Mikael Gandon, a Parisian resident who has relatives in Baltimore, spoke with 11 News via Skype around 12:45 a.m. local time while the chaos in his city was still going on, so was the fear of the unknown.

"I hear the siren of the fireman," Gandon said. "I won't go out on the streets for sure, but I think I will tomorrow."

Gandon lives near the concert hall that was under siege. He said his family and friends in Paris are all accounted for and OK.

"It's frightening. It's frightening what happened, but I'm not scared for my life right now. I'm not on the street. I'm safe at home," Gandon said.

So far, U.S. officials report "no credible threat" against America, but security expert Vernon Herron, with the Center for Health and Homeland Security, pointed out that all of the Paris attacks were on soft targets, so everybody is on high alert -- credible threat or not.

"We're in the height of the shopping season here in the United States. We've got big holidays coming around, we've got football over the weekend. These are all potential targets for any attacks on the United States," Herron said.

The U.S. is closely watching the situation in Paris, and already police in high profile areas have upped security.

Police in Washington, D.C., sent extra officers to the French embassy and other France-related sites in D.C., as did police in New York. The NYPD, while saying there is no known threat at this time, is deploying more officers around the city out of an abundance of caution.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis has been in contact with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and her staff to keep them up to date with the attacks that occurred in Paris.

The commissioner's office released a statement, saying: "The Baltimore Police Department remains vigilant and urges citizens to report any suspicious activity to police. While there have been no articulated threats to Baltimore or the United States, out of an abundance of caution, additional resources have been deployed across the city. We will continue to monitor the situation and gather intelligence from our local, state, and federal partners."

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan released a statement, saying: "The first lady and I are shocked and saddened by the attacks this evening in Paris. Our deepest prayers are with all those affected by this terrible atrocity, and we stand with the French people tonight and always in the fight against terrorism."

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, released a statement, saying: "It is with a heavy heart that I offer my sincerest condolences to the family members of the victims who were killed in this tragedy and to the French people during this difficult period. Too frequently of late, France has suffered at the hands of terrorists seeking to cause havoc and devastation in Paris and in other cities throughout the country. France is in mourning right now and we in the United States stand in solidarity with the French people during this most terrible time. This barbarism will never defeat the French people and the perpetrators of these heinous acts will be brought to justice."

Those concerned about a U.S. citizen in Paris can call 888-407-4747 in the U.S., or 202-501-4444 from overseas.